Item
SP Oral History, 2022/05/11
Media
Title (Dublin Core)
SP Oral History, 2022/05/11
Description (Dublin Core)
A student describes their experience working during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Recording Date (Dublin Core)
May 11, 2022
Creator (Dublin Core)
LD
SP
Partner (Dublin Core)
University at Buffalo
Type (Dublin Core)
audio
Controlled Vocabulary (Dublin Core)
English
Education--Universities
English
Government Federal
English
Home & Family Life
English
Politics
Curator's Tags (Omeka Classic)
student
University
work
sanitation
unaffected
transportation
mask
vaccine
religion
Collection (Dublin Core)
College COVID Stories
Date Submitted (Dublin Core)
05/12/2022
Date Modified (Dublin Core)
10/18/2023
Date Created (Dublin Core)
05/11/2022
Interviewer (Bibliographic Ontology)
LD
Interviewee (Bibliographic Ontology)
SP
Location (Omeka Classic)
08008
New Jersey
United States of America
Format (Dublin Core)
Audio
Language (Dublin Core)
English
Duration (Omeka Classic)
00:10:48
abstract (Bibliographic Ontology)
A student describes their experience working during the Covid-19 outbreak. The interviewee discusses how their work life changed during the pandemic. The interviewee also discusses their means of transportation, changes in their sanitation, and their wages. This interview ends with the interviewee discussing politics and their family.
Transcription (Omeka Classic)
LD 00:01
What's up, guys? I'm with SP. It is currently May 11, 11:14 pm 2022. Before we start this interview, I just want to ask for verbal consent to be interviewed and uploaded and published to the J-O-T-P-Y website. Do you consent?
SP 00:17
I verbally consent.
LD 00:21
Were your working hours affected by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic? If so, how?
SP 00:29
Um, personally, No, no, my hours were not affected by the by the pandemic. The hours were the same before the pandemic and during.
LD 00:43
Has your transportation method changed since the initial outbreak?
SP 00:49
Um, it has not. I drove my personal vehicle to and from work and I continue doing so during the pandemic.
LD 00:58
Did your employer reduce the amount of workers present at the workplace at one time following the outbreak?
SP 01:05
Yeah, there was definitely a reduction of workers in the workplace. Probably that their reasoning was for social distancing, they couldn’t have too many people in a confined space at once as we once did. So they definitely reduced the number of workers at one time.
LD 01:24
Were you expected to follow strict cleaning procedures like wiping down countertops, sinks, and bathroom facilities?
SP 01:32
Strict cleaning procedures were definitely in place. The company invested in some so called fogging machines with some liquid to disinfect the area. Uh, definitely latex gloves, cleaning solutions with alcohol. There was definitely changes being made.
LD 01:51
Did you tend to see an increase in sanitary awareness among co-workers?
SP 01:57
Yeah, I would say 100%. Before the pandemic, I don't really think there was a much regard to sanitary cleanliness, as it was during the pandemic, I guess, people just didn't. The fact that they didn't want to contract COVID made them more aware of just the little things that before you would just go through and not really think twice about. It definitely made people think twice before doing other things.
LD 02:27
Did the tasks assigned to you at work changed due to the pandemic?
SP 02:32
Yeah, um, so definitely the cleaning aspect. Opening and closing. There was definitely more on the checklist during COVID than there was before. And that really did carry over into the beginning of, I guess, post-COVID, which I believe right now. There's definitely more to do during the shift.
LD 02:56
Did you notice coworkers leaving or new workers joining after the outbreak?
SP 03:03
Um, we definitely hired new, new workers specifically. I guess people that were more informed about the issues or more responsible. Specifically for one of the jobs I had. We had to hire people that actually knew what they were doing. And took the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of COVID. And people definitely left I guess, whether for health or safety reasons, they didn't feel safe working. So yeah.
LD 03:37
Were your wages affected by COVID?
SP 03:41
Wages were not affected by COVID. There's a typical raise every year, and that continued during the pandemic, as it did, as it was before the pandemic.
LD 03:53
Did it become more difficult to juggle both personal and professional life during this time?
SP 03:58
Um, no on a personal level. I personally don't don't have a regard to the COVID 19 pandemic. I personally think that, you know, once your time comes, your time comes whether you're sleeping in your bed or you're driving a motorcycle, doing things you're not supposed to under the influence. I think when the big man upstairs says it's your time, it's your time. And that's how I grew up and I personally my personal life did not get affected by a COVID. I really didn't have a regard towards it, safety or hygenic but my professional life both in school and work definitely did get affected by the new policies put in place.
LD 04:42
Were you forced to rely on government subsidies such as unemployment relief?
SP 04:46
Um, so I personally did not get any government substantial, subsidizes. I did not know how to go about that. Um, I don't think that's something that kids or I guess, younger generations are informed about enough. So I was not, I never applied or received government aid, during the pandemic, by the Biden administration.
LD 05:18
Did your work become more difficult due to social distancing and mask use?
SP 05:24
Oh, yeah, definitely. I guess the main aspect was talking. Sometimes people can't hear what you're saying. And it gets really frustrating. I guess, facial expressions, you know, that all that comes into play, when you're, when you're coming in contact with customers, sometimes they don't understand what you're getting the point you're getting across, or what you're trying to say. And after you say, two or three times, you know, at that point, it's just like, keep walking. But other than that, social distancing as well. I mean, you're used to being in close proximity with employees, customers, and just, you know, interacting like you normally would, but when the pandemic hit, and you know, you have to keep your distance and think twice about it definitely affects that every day tasks you have to take care of.
LD 06:12
In your opinion, did the work environment become less friendly, and interactive after the pandemic?
SP 06:21
I would say it definitely became less interactive, less of a social aspect to it. I guess in the in the fact that during the pandemic, people were kind of keeping their distance, they had their mask on, they didn't really want to talk as much or like, contact each other much to I guess, avoid the spread. And I guess that kind of just like, carried over into into now. But it definitely was a, was a drastic change. Before, you know, you could sit on your break and talk to people. But during the pandemic, you kind of just went your own way and tried to isolate yourself.
LD 07:01
Did you experience an increase in stress while working during the pandemic?
SP 07:07
On a personal level no, like I previously stated in the video, my regard to COVID-19 really wasn't that drastic. It really didn't cross my mind, I didn't really think too much about it. But in regards to other employees, I think that it did change for other people, which kind of affected the overall feel of it.
LD 07:30
Did you experience a lack of motivation to work or even keep your job during the early months of the outbreak?
SP 07:37
Um, lack of motivation has always been there pre-pandemic, post-pandemic, and will be future pandemic, on that's just something that's a drag to do. But personally, I believe that I personally kept working during the pandemic, just because when I was at school, you know, I needed little spending money to go to a Chippewa street, downtown, and just, you know, buy what I want to buy. And just, you know, so I worked. The motivations pretty much just, just having a little spending money in it, it really didn't get affected by COVID.
LD 08:16
Do you feel the mask and vaccine mandates were handled well, and should they have been used to determine employment eligibility?
SP 08:23
I think one of the few things, or one of the many things that the Biden administration has done wrong. You know, there’s a long list. I know this interview’s short, but um, among the many, many, many, many things that the Biden administration has dropped the ball on, to name a few. The mandates definitely, were among one of the worst things that crossed that man's mind, whatever he has in there, but I think that the vaccine mandates were definitely not good. In relation to the Constitution that was written and signed by the founding fathers, I think that it goes against it. One of the main things is freedom of religion, and I think many religions as UB accepts vaccine exemptions due to religious and health regions reasons. I think that the Biden administration didn't take that into consideration and the fact that, you know, applying to internships and jobs, they explicitly state that the vaccine is required. I think that is excuse my sailor's mouth bullshit. Because I think that's just not fair to the people that not just by choice but by religion, religious obligation can, can't take the vaccine I think it was definitely not the way to go about things.
LD 10:00
Did your family experience hardship as a result of job loss or other pandemic complications?
SP 10:09
So personally, my family did not experience complications. My mom doesn't work and my dad's business although it did make changes because people didn't really want to interact or contact during the jobs. But other than that, business was pretty much normal.
LD 10:31
Alright, that is it. Thank you, SP.
SP 10:35
Thank you. LD. It was a pleasure meeting with you.
LD 10:38
Yeah man,
SP 10:39
And I hope the rest of the semester brings many beers and cherishes in good grades.
LD 10:45
Thank you, buddy. You too.
What's up, guys? I'm with SP. It is currently May 11, 11:14 pm 2022. Before we start this interview, I just want to ask for verbal consent to be interviewed and uploaded and published to the J-O-T-P-Y website. Do you consent?
SP 00:17
I verbally consent.
LD 00:21
Were your working hours affected by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic? If so, how?
SP 00:29
Um, personally, No, no, my hours were not affected by the by the pandemic. The hours were the same before the pandemic and during.
LD 00:43
Has your transportation method changed since the initial outbreak?
SP 00:49
Um, it has not. I drove my personal vehicle to and from work and I continue doing so during the pandemic.
LD 00:58
Did your employer reduce the amount of workers present at the workplace at one time following the outbreak?
SP 01:05
Yeah, there was definitely a reduction of workers in the workplace. Probably that their reasoning was for social distancing, they couldn’t have too many people in a confined space at once as we once did. So they definitely reduced the number of workers at one time.
LD 01:24
Were you expected to follow strict cleaning procedures like wiping down countertops, sinks, and bathroom facilities?
SP 01:32
Strict cleaning procedures were definitely in place. The company invested in some so called fogging machines with some liquid to disinfect the area. Uh, definitely latex gloves, cleaning solutions with alcohol. There was definitely changes being made.
LD 01:51
Did you tend to see an increase in sanitary awareness among co-workers?
SP 01:57
Yeah, I would say 100%. Before the pandemic, I don't really think there was a much regard to sanitary cleanliness, as it was during the pandemic, I guess, people just didn't. The fact that they didn't want to contract COVID made them more aware of just the little things that before you would just go through and not really think twice about. It definitely made people think twice before doing other things.
LD 02:27
Did the tasks assigned to you at work changed due to the pandemic?
SP 02:32
Yeah, um, so definitely the cleaning aspect. Opening and closing. There was definitely more on the checklist during COVID than there was before. And that really did carry over into the beginning of, I guess, post-COVID, which I believe right now. There's definitely more to do during the shift.
LD 02:56
Did you notice coworkers leaving or new workers joining after the outbreak?
SP 03:03
Um, we definitely hired new, new workers specifically. I guess people that were more informed about the issues or more responsible. Specifically for one of the jobs I had. We had to hire people that actually knew what they were doing. And took the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of COVID. And people definitely left I guess, whether for health or safety reasons, they didn't feel safe working. So yeah.
LD 03:37
Were your wages affected by COVID?
SP 03:41
Wages were not affected by COVID. There's a typical raise every year, and that continued during the pandemic, as it did, as it was before the pandemic.
LD 03:53
Did it become more difficult to juggle both personal and professional life during this time?
SP 03:58
Um, no on a personal level. I personally don't don't have a regard to the COVID 19 pandemic. I personally think that, you know, once your time comes, your time comes whether you're sleeping in your bed or you're driving a motorcycle, doing things you're not supposed to under the influence. I think when the big man upstairs says it's your time, it's your time. And that's how I grew up and I personally my personal life did not get affected by a COVID. I really didn't have a regard towards it, safety or hygenic but my professional life both in school and work definitely did get affected by the new policies put in place.
LD 04:42
Were you forced to rely on government subsidies such as unemployment relief?
SP 04:46
Um, so I personally did not get any government substantial, subsidizes. I did not know how to go about that. Um, I don't think that's something that kids or I guess, younger generations are informed about enough. So I was not, I never applied or received government aid, during the pandemic, by the Biden administration.
LD 05:18
Did your work become more difficult due to social distancing and mask use?
SP 05:24
Oh, yeah, definitely. I guess the main aspect was talking. Sometimes people can't hear what you're saying. And it gets really frustrating. I guess, facial expressions, you know, that all that comes into play, when you're, when you're coming in contact with customers, sometimes they don't understand what you're getting the point you're getting across, or what you're trying to say. And after you say, two or three times, you know, at that point, it's just like, keep walking. But other than that, social distancing as well. I mean, you're used to being in close proximity with employees, customers, and just, you know, interacting like you normally would, but when the pandemic hit, and you know, you have to keep your distance and think twice about it definitely affects that every day tasks you have to take care of.
LD 06:12
In your opinion, did the work environment become less friendly, and interactive after the pandemic?
SP 06:21
I would say it definitely became less interactive, less of a social aspect to it. I guess in the in the fact that during the pandemic, people were kind of keeping their distance, they had their mask on, they didn't really want to talk as much or like, contact each other much to I guess, avoid the spread. And I guess that kind of just like, carried over into into now. But it definitely was a, was a drastic change. Before, you know, you could sit on your break and talk to people. But during the pandemic, you kind of just went your own way and tried to isolate yourself.
LD 07:01
Did you experience an increase in stress while working during the pandemic?
SP 07:07
On a personal level no, like I previously stated in the video, my regard to COVID-19 really wasn't that drastic. It really didn't cross my mind, I didn't really think too much about it. But in regards to other employees, I think that it did change for other people, which kind of affected the overall feel of it.
LD 07:30
Did you experience a lack of motivation to work or even keep your job during the early months of the outbreak?
SP 07:37
Um, lack of motivation has always been there pre-pandemic, post-pandemic, and will be future pandemic, on that's just something that's a drag to do. But personally, I believe that I personally kept working during the pandemic, just because when I was at school, you know, I needed little spending money to go to a Chippewa street, downtown, and just, you know, buy what I want to buy. And just, you know, so I worked. The motivations pretty much just, just having a little spending money in it, it really didn't get affected by COVID.
LD 08:16
Do you feel the mask and vaccine mandates were handled well, and should they have been used to determine employment eligibility?
SP 08:23
I think one of the few things, or one of the many things that the Biden administration has done wrong. You know, there’s a long list. I know this interview’s short, but um, among the many, many, many, many things that the Biden administration has dropped the ball on, to name a few. The mandates definitely, were among one of the worst things that crossed that man's mind, whatever he has in there, but I think that the vaccine mandates were definitely not good. In relation to the Constitution that was written and signed by the founding fathers, I think that it goes against it. One of the main things is freedom of religion, and I think many religions as UB accepts vaccine exemptions due to religious and health regions reasons. I think that the Biden administration didn't take that into consideration and the fact that, you know, applying to internships and jobs, they explicitly state that the vaccine is required. I think that is excuse my sailor's mouth bullshit. Because I think that's just not fair to the people that not just by choice but by religion, religious obligation can, can't take the vaccine I think it was definitely not the way to go about things.
LD 10:00
Did your family experience hardship as a result of job loss or other pandemic complications?
SP 10:09
So personally, my family did not experience complications. My mom doesn't work and my dad's business although it did make changes because people didn't really want to interact or contact during the jobs. But other than that, business was pretty much normal.
LD 10:31
Alright, that is it. Thank you, SP.
SP 10:35
Thank you. LD. It was a pleasure meeting with you.
LD 10:38
Yeah man,
SP 10:39
And I hope the rest of the semester brings many beers and cherishes in good grades.
LD 10:45
Thank you, buddy. You too.
Item sets
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